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Learned Optimism
By Carol Grannick on February 23, 2010
What I’m saying is this: if you want to become more resilient, you’ll have to work hard at it. You have to teach your brain to think differently in order to become more resilient, more “irrepressible”.
But it does take hold. Even if you hit periods of difficulty during which have to work harder than usual at creating positive emotions.
Posted in Learned Optimism | Tagged Learned Optimism
By Carol Grannick on February 15, 2010
If you’ve looked at the first and second installments of my series on writers’ jealousy, you’ll recall that I encouraged you to stay calm about the experience of jealousy, and to reconnect with your ethical “core” values and beliefs so that you can behave well, even if you’re feeling jealous.
Those learned or natural behaviors will [...]
Posted in jealousy, Learned Optimism | Tagged jealousy
By Carol Grannick on February 2, 2010
Jealousy propels us into negativity and drains energy, productivity and creativity. Jealousy focuses our energy on who we aren’t or can’t be, and inhibits us from being and becoming the writers we are and can be.
Posted in Emotional Life Of Writers, jealousy, Learned Optimism | Tagged jealousy
By Carol Grannick on January 26, 2010
What if when you have negative thoughts you aren’t just depressed or depleted…What if you’re wrong?
Posted in Emotional Life Of Writers, Learned Optimism, Positivity for Writers | Tagged Edward de Bono, negative thoughts, writers
By Carol Grannick on January 19, 2010
The ability to “dispute” your negative thoughts is a cornerstone of changing pessimistic thinking to optimistic. For me, and for many clients, learning to dispute is an invaluable skill.
But it is not the only technique for creating positive emotions. For those of us who “flow” more naturally toward negativity, a variety of tools are helpful [...]
Posted in Learned Optimism, Positivity for Writers | Tagged Learned Optimism, positivity
By Carol Grannick on January 7, 2010
I have a choice to think one way or the other. The positive choice energizes me to blog, write and enjoy the day inside.
That choice – and learning how to make and benefit from that choice in an ongoing way – is what The Irrepressible Writer is all about.
Posted in Emotional Life Of Writers, Learned Optimism, Positivity for Writers, Resilient Writers, The Writing Life, Uncategorized | Tagged Learned Optimism, positive emotions, positivity, writers' obstacles, writers' resilience
By Carol Grannick on December 28, 2009
In the spirit of end-of-year reminiscence and thoughtful self-assessment, I realized yesterday that my closet held beautiful, exotic clothing that I’ve collected over several decades. Clothing that is lovely to look at, but clothing I don’t wear, or am uncomfortable in when I do.
The clothes don’t belong in my closet. Not because I don’t [...]
Posted in Emotional Life Of Writers, Learned Optimism, Positivity for Writers, The Writing Life | Tagged Learned Optimism, Martin Seligman, positive attitude, writer's block
By Carol Grannick on December 25, 2009
One of the helpful aspects of The Irrepressible Writer workshops is the ability to see and hear other writers in the group learn to dispute their ‘pessimistic explanatory style‘. This post will bring part of that experience to you.
WARNING: It’s a long post (under 1000 words), but if I split it up into multiple posts, [...]
Posted in Emotional Life Of Writers, Learned Optimism, rejection | Tagged disputing thoughts, Learned Optimism, Martin Seligman
By Carol Grannick on December 10, 2009
You want to get to work. You think about getting to work. You’ve got one, two, seven projects on your mind.
But nothing happens. You walk past your writing space and imagine yourself writing. Your heart glides over and sits at the desk. But your body stays away.
Why can’t you work?
Maybe you get agitated. Then you get annoyed that [...]
Posted in Emotional Life Of Writers, Learned Optimism, Positivity for Writers, Resilient Writers, The Writing Life | Tagged Barbara Fredrickson, writer's block
By Carol Grannick on December 7, 2009
I couldn’t wait to get back to novel writing this morning after a prolonged, chosen and necessary time away due to a family death. My middle grade novel in verse called to me, and I answered.
I’m going to get a bunch of writing done this morning!
But by the time I put my current partial draft in front [...]
Posted in Emotional Life Of Writers, Learned Optimism, Positivity for Writers, Resilient Writers | Tagged Caravaggio's Medusa, creativity, writer's block
